


What makes a (Mer)man.

by scarrednakama



Category: Free!, Soumako - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-04
Updated: 2014-12-04
Packaged: 2018-02-28 04:15:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2718425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarrednakama/pseuds/scarrednakama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This, like multiple other soumako AUs, is a merman X human fic.<br/>It's cheesy, I know but I couldn't resist, okay?</p><p> </p><p>All rights reserved. Please don't share this without my permission.</p><p> </p><p>Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Huff, huff...... uuuuuuugghhhhhhhhh........!!!"

Makoto groaned as he hauled the frayed fishing net over the side of his beloved ( if slighty rotting ) boat, but despite the immense effort it took to haul the net up off the bay floor Makoto was sure that he had pulled up a good haul. Maybe even so good that he wouldn't have to return tomorrow.

After much effort that would make his muscles ache in the coming days, he finally brought the catch aboard only to silently gape in terror and shock at what he had captured.

An unconscious man, an unconscious man to be more precise with no legs, lay entangled in the net. Instead a mottled blue and gray fish tail ( not that unlike one of a whale shark) replaced the man's lower half. Chiseled abdomenil muscle gave way to speckled scales which connected his tail to his torso. Instead of admiring how muscled and chiselled he was, Makoto began to hyperventilate. "Wha... what is this?! What are y-you? How the HELL DID I CATCH SOMETHING....... SOMEONE LIKE YOOOOU?!!" Makoto began to screech hysterically. He began to screech so loud, in fact, that the man / fish groggily opened his eyes. Suddenly Makoto hushed.

His eyes, the most beautiful eyes Makoto had ever stumbled upon blinked blearily up at him. The softest, most vibrant teal focused on Makoto. The beautiful eyes suddenly widened in fear and horror as the creature finally realised what Makoto was.

"Man....." It rasped. "Man, man, man, man!" It ( he perhaps? Makoto could tell that the creature was definetely male by it's facial features...... He it would be so) repeated. His voice rose and dipped like the crescendo of crashing waves on ragged rocks. Makoto exhaled, remain calm, you don't know who he is or what he is..... just no sudden movements okay? Yeah okay I can do that...... Fine, no problem.... "You.... You can... talk?" Makoto murmured hesistantly. The creature's eyes shot up to meet Makoto's "Uh, yeah? How the hell do you think I communicate dumbass?" He asked exasperatedly "Just because I'm not Man doesn't mean I swim around miming all the goddamn time, jeez." "Y-you... swim?" Makoto wondered aloud, "Uh yeah? I'm a merman idiot..... Did you even SEE the tail? Now get it off of me." The merman gestured brusquely to the net still entangled around his fins and rugged torso.

"Oh... Uh right... sorry" Makoto muttered hurriedly, suddenly anxious not to anger the fierce merman that lay before him. It was almost as if Makoto was the helpless one bound in a net and not the capturer.

After alot of cursing from the merman and several botched attempts from the fisherman, he was freed. Makoto sat back panting as he stared at the majestic tail that lay before him. Makoto raised his head to come face to face with the creature. Neither man moved. Leafy green stared into bottomless teal. Brunet hair brushed coal black. And suddenly the merman was gone. One instant there, the next a mere splash of water in the endless Japanese ocean. All that was left was the now ripped-apart fishhing net.

Makoto stared blindly out beyond the horizon. W-what the hell just happened? I bet I was hallucinating. I probably just drank too much sea water. There's no way in hell I just captured (and rescued) a merman. No way. With a ragged breath Makoto began to turn the boat for home. it was getting dark and he didn't what anything else weird happening to him.... Not today at least.


	2. The love of the sea.

The boat creaked and listed from side to side. Makoto frowned, his brow furrowed in worry. The sea was unnaturally rough today despite it being a cool summers day. It was almost as if the sea gods were punishing him for unknowon reasons.

He sighed. Every day this week Makoto had gone out to sea only to return with mere scraps of fish, nothing compared to the wealthiful catches of before. He gazed wilfully out to sea. Ever since his encounter with the wild merman, Makoto had found himself almost longing to haul the creature back onto the boat again.

"Waaagh!" The boat suddenly listed violently to starboard and Makoto staggered around the deck....... And right into the water.

He surfaced, spluttering and gasping, trying to battle against the fierce waves that lashed against his weakening body and crried his vessel further away from him. "N-NOOOO! STOP!!" Makoto wailed, as if his pleas would calm the seething ocean. He felt his body weaken and struggled to surface, eventually he began to sink. No, please..... I don't want to die..... Not, not like this.... Please....... Makoto's mind darkened as he gave into the dark embrace of the sea.

"NNNNNNNGH - uuuuuughhhh........" Makoto pressed on his temple as his head throbbed unbearably. His eyes gradually became focused in the dim light of the...... room? Where was he? He definitely wasn't at home, last he remembered was slowly sinking underwater into the dark abyss of the ocean..... Well at least he was alive and on land, right? Even though Makoto was in a seemingly dire situation his optimism still shone through the despair that had blanketed his soul.

"Well it's about damn time you've awakened baka" came a scornful voice. Makoto's eyes widened in disbelief. He knew that voice, that voice he had only heard once but still stayed with him since. That voice of the merman. Sure enough when Makoto wildly stared around he focused on someone in the water below him. Someone who now glared reproachfully up at him with the same vibrant teal eyes as before.

Oh. Makoto cautiously leaned forward. "Umm, w-where am I? A-and who, um, are you?" He murmured softly, careful not to startle the flighty creature. "You're in a lagoon idiot, I brought you here when you damn nearly died in that storm. What the hell were you doing in fishing in it?" The merman sighed irritably. Suddenly he flashed and was out of the water almost instantly and lying next to Makoto.

Makoto squeaked. "Oh, uuu-um thank... you?" He replied, trying to lean away as the merman focused and leaned towards Makoto's face with interest. "My name is Makoto..." He offered carefully. The merman pulled back "Oh right, yeah I'm.... Sousuke. Yamazaki Sousuke. I think you know what I am.... right?" His body was illuminated by a hole in the roof of the lagoon, allowing starlight peek through. It was all painfully cliched.

Makoto nodded "Yes, merman right?" "Uh huh" "A whale shark?" "Uh huh"

"Oh...... cool...."

"Yes, very.... cool."


	3. Batlling the waves.

Sousuke's POV:

 

I take him swimming.

Well, when I mean that, I mean that I swim ahead as usual, using my strength in my arms and tail to push ahead, creating a swirling vortex of bubbles. The human tries to keep up.

He's strong, there's no doubt about it. I watch the muscles in his back flex as he pushes his way through the water, he can keep up with me some as well. Needless to say I'm impressed.

Humans are inconvieniant though, we have to stay close to the water's surface so he can surface for air often. Annoying. But his expressions make up for it. When Makoto gazes down upon the garishly bright coral his whole face lights up, like a merchild catching a fish for the first time. It's beautiful.

I haven't told him about all the times I've watched him fishing, swimming and walking by the seashore, how I spent endless hours gazing at his face as he delights in making a large catch or how he collects tiny seashells and gives them to his younger siblings. The first time I saw them, Ren and Ran, running along by their brother's side to give him various treasures from the rocks I instantly felt jealous. So jealous in fact, that I wanted to rip them apart from him, like a brutal tide tearing shoals of fish apart. But then I saw how happy Makoto was with them, how his eyes shone like sunlight breaking through the leaves of a tree and I knew that if I was to do this, if I took them away from Makoto (despite how easy it would be) that light would never return to his eyes again.

So I kept my distance, I watched from afar and marveled at how someone so tall and strong could be so gentle and loving. I couldn't comprehende it, all mermen were raised to be strong, cold and unforgiving no matter what. It was the only way for survival we were told, the only way to live a life long enough to meet a mate and start a pack. Makoto bewildered me with his soft expressions and gentle movements.

Eventually I bring Makoto back to the lagoon, my haven. No one knows I live here, not that anybody cares, I don't have any friends.

Outcast.

Monster.

Freak.

Demon.

Murderer.

The voices of others swirl around in my head, a neverending vortex of hissing accusations. But when Makoto softly speaks to me, hesistantly, gently, kindly, the voices are swept away. He's like a soothing balm upon poisoned skin.

As Makoto pulls himself up onto the rocks that line the lagoon, he gives me a hesitant smile. "What you showed me..... The coral, the fishes, the life....." Makoto glances at me with downturned eyes ".... It was beautiful..... Thank you." 

My eyes widen, that's the first time someone has ever said something like that to me. And I know that this is what it feels like.

Love.


End file.
